Shipping Your Car To Australia
If you would like to ship your car to Australia, we can organise a fast and reliable car shipping service to transport your vehicle safely to its destination. We will need to know the car make and model so that we can work out the weight and size to be included in your quotation. Please see information below regarding the import of motor vehicles into Australia.
Import Regulations
Australia has very strict vehicle importation regulations. Car shipping to Australia is allowed, but only in very specific circumstances. To be issued a Vehicle Import Approval your vehicle must fall under one of the following options:
- Vehicles manufactured before 1989
- Personal import
- Australian Plated Vehicles
- Small Road Trailers
- Race and Rally Support Vehicles
- Letter Of Compliance
To see the full list of car shipping options to Australia, click here
Personal Imports
Personal Imports are the most common option for those moving to Australia. Applications must be made prior to moving to Australia, and the vehicle must be owned for a minimum of 12 months. Only 1 vehicle can be shipped every 5 years, and this vehicle must have been used for transportation during the 12 month period.
The following documents are required to be approved for personal imports:
- A purchase document for the vehicle in your name (a purchase document can be a pro-forma invoice/receipt for deposit or full payment).
- A copy of your driver’s license;
- A copy of the registration documents for the vehicle (for the qualifying period), in your name;
- A statement of travel prepared by you, listing any international travel you undertook during the qualifying period.
- A copy of the identity page of your passport. If you hold dual passports, you should provide a copy of both passport identity pages
- A copy of your current Australian permanent resident visa if you are not a citizen.
- If you have applied previously you will need to quote your previous application number.
Clearance and fees
All cars imported into Australia are subject to a tax and customs charge upon approval. The value of the tax is determined as a percentage of the value of the car that you are shipping to Australia. The figures for Duty and Goods and Services Tax are below:
| Vehicle Type | Duty | Goods and Services Tax |
| Vehicles over 30 years old | 0% | 10% |
| New and Used Vehicles Up To 30 Years Old | 10% | 10% |
| Four wheel drive off road / commercial vehicles
|
5% | 10% |
Registration
Once you have been approved for a personal import vehicle permit, you will need to apply for a personal import plate. This will incur an additional charge, but is needed for shipping your car to Australia.